How to Make an Easy Teddy Bear

Teddy bears are prized possessions and ideal gifts. A simple teddy bear can bring smiles to a child, raise money for a charity, or be used to decorate a house. An aspiring creator can fashion a teddy bear without any previous sewing experience using a two-piece pattern. To disguise the simplicity of the pattern, you can adorn your bear with clothes, ribbons or other embellishments.

Things You'll Need

• Printer with paper and ink
• Scissors
• 1 yard of fabric
• Marker
• Needle and thread
• Stuffing
• Embellishments of your choice

Instructions

1. Print out a simple, one-piece teddy bear pattern, such as the one on http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bear.html.

2. Cut out the pattern and trace it onto the fabric twice. Use a marker of a contrasting color for greater visibility.

3. Cut the two outlines out of the fabric with sharp scissors. Be sure to cut inside the lines.

4. Create a face on one piece of fabric. Sew the face with a contrasting color thread, use small buttons or other embellishments, or simply draw the face with a marker.

5. Sew the two pieces together, leaving a large opening on one side for stuffing.

6. Stuff the bear with fiberfill, cotton balls, or other filling substances. Use a wooden spoon or other object to push stuffing into the arms, legs, and other areas of the bear.

7. Sew the bear closed.

8. Decorate with embellishments such as clothing, ribbon, iron-on patches and other items, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Enlarge or shrink the patterns using computer software to create larger or smaller bears. Add a personal touch to the bear by creating a name collar out of yarn and letter beads.

• Stuff the bear evenly to avoid unnecessary wear and tear. Some free patterns are copyrighted and cannot be used to create bears that will be sold for a profit. Contact the company or pattern provider for more information.

References

• Charity Bear
• Simple Bear